Page 115 of Play With Me

I slump against the wall, my throat choked with relief.

Nora looks at me questioningly and I nod, pulling her against me, tipping the phone so she can hear. “Gerrard. It’s Jude. You guys are okay?”

“Oh, yes, Jude, hello. We are very good. Just dinner, you know. Sorry for the volume.” I realize then I can hear raucous laughter in the background. “We saw the weather coming in at noon, so we stopped at an inn here. Farrah, she said it was good. Is that okay? Would you like him back to the resort? We can go, maybe when the weather clears…”

“No,” I say. “No, we’re just glad he’s safe.”

“Oh yeah. He’s teaching us some game where you throw the pieces at our face? It’s rather shocking. But the patrons here love it.”

I laugh softly. Fuck, I miss him. We’ve only been apart for the day and all I want is for him to be right here, with Nora and me. “Is he available to talk?”

My arm is hooked around Nora’s neck, her head tucked under my chin. I dip my face down as we wait. Her scent swirls in my nostrils, and for the first time since we got here, I start to relax.

It’s only then I notice every set of eyes in the place are fixed on us, half of them looking kind of swoony. I also see what’s on the TV.

“Dad?” Cap’s voice is breathless, like he ran over.

“Yeah, buddy. It’s me and Nora.”

“Hey, Cap,” Nora says, her smile a little wobbly like she’s on the verge of happy tears. I get it, my throat’s thick with them too.

“This place is so cool!” Cap goes on to tell us about the inn, which apparently has various taxidermy animals all over the place, and light fixtures made out of skis. “There’s this lady here, and she’s teaching me how to yodel! Wanna hear?”

He doesn’t wait for us to respond.

“YODELAY HEE HOOOOOOOOO!” Cap screeches into the phone.

Nora and I both bite down to keep from laughing. I press my forehead to hers. “I’m so glad you’re good, Cap,” I say. “I miss you so much.”

“Yeah, me too, Dad! I’m really sad we have to go home in three days, but Christmas is coming, remember? And you said I might get that golf game…”

As Cap goes on about his Christmas gifts, I can’t break my gaze from Nora’s.

I lift my forehead up. Three days. That’s all we have left. I knew that, but hearing it, especially from Cap, makes it more real than it’s ever been.

“Dad, it’s my turn again! I gotta go.”

“Yeah,” I say, my voice tight. “Hey, Cap, can I talk to Farrah before you hang up?”

“Yeah, Dad. Love you!”

“Love you too.”

“Love you, Nora,” Cap says.

“Me too, Cap,” Nora says. “Love you so much.”

She pulls away from me then, turning and straightening her hair, nodding at Carolina, who’s been hovering a few feet away.

They speak to each other softly as Farrah comes on the line.

“Hello, Jude?”

“Hey, Farrah,” I say. My voice is stiff, and I make an effort to soften it. “I uh, just wanted to say thanks for looking out for him. Cap.”

“Of course, Jude.”

“He’s…your son too, and I’m sorry I didn’t properly appreciate that before.”

---